They do not do what the Grateful Dead did, even though they are a "jam band" (don't like that term), they are different animals. I can see how some deadheads like them and I enjoyed the show I went to. But I find them a little formulaic in jam structure and less open and free like the Dead when they were really playing (though that happened less and less as the 80s wore on). Though I don't think of this as a better/worse thing just apples and oranges. They are very talented and have created a sound that is all their own. I have been guilty of music snobbery in the past and have tried to be conscious of not doing that now since I have small children who listen to music that I don't particularly care for but don't want to discourage them from listening and enjoying music of their own choosing. There are people who suck and get famous but most people making a living in the biz are at least competent in their own style whether it is a style that speaks to me or not. People looooove the music that they are into and trashing someone else's source of joy and inspiration whether it be the Dead, Phish, or Lady Gaga.

Love 'em. They brought the absolute heat this summer. They have changed and they are not extending typeII jams as much as the did when 2.0, but in 2.0 they couldnt nail their composed tunes either, and they are crushing that shit now. They have played 207 DIFFERENT songs this year in under 20 shows! I defy you to find a GD year that comes close to that setlist variety! Everything is a trade off. I think the summer tour that just ended is the best since summer 2000.
Being a native New Englander, I got to see them very early: 1987 as an opener for Max Creek. Loved 'em then, Love 'em now. Great guys too!

.......................................................have you heard the one about the yellow dog?

Treys got some serious skills on the guitar , and real original tone fo sho , the music is def pretty tight now , but I can't get over the fact that the Lyrics sound like a 4 year old wrote them . It's my 1 hang up. Ill be cruising down the road , getting into a stellar jam , then the lyrics start back up, and I'm like oh god ....

I hear a lot of people say the lyrics aren't that good, what is interesting is that a lot of the lyrics are a play on words and have no specific meaning. I think some songs have better lyrics than others but I have never let it bother me, I mean I have been going to see Phish for 20 years so there must be something I like.

I just got on board with Phish a coupla years back after shunning them over misconceptions and prejudice for the last 20 years. Better late than never. I fucking love that band. Can't imagine the musical void in my life without them.

Counterstriker, I've watched him do that. He's fun to watch as a guitarist, although he is a little spastic with the controls. I've never really heard a big swing in difference as he's switching.
As for the band, I too blew them off in the old days as I was pure Dead. Have come around and seen them the last 2 years at Portsmouth and followed summer tours on couch. I think they rock and are playing really well right now. Incredibly tight, yet free to open up. Its good stuff!

Counterstriker wrote:Has anybody ever notice how much trey touches his tone and volume knobs (all his controls really) after every phrase of lick he messes with it and goes between pickups too.

Thats because Trey is a fuckin' jedi ....

That languedoc in a mere mortals hands would squeal like a stuck pig. He plays on the edge ALL the time so he can pick and choose when to throw that otherwordly sustain bag of tricks at 'ya. He needs to ride the volume and tone like that to reign in the Wild stallion that guitar is. It is braced and hollow like a Jazz box and plugged into a fairly high gain signal chain.

My wife is not a big Phish fan and echoes some of the sentiments I see in this thread about their lyrics. But this band is about F-U-N. And they had more fun this summer than they have since summer 2000 in my opinion. (see recurring Fishman "tucking" theme)

.......................................................have you heard the one about the yellow dog?

Counterstriker wrote:Has anybody ever notice how much trey touches his tone and volume knobs (all his controls really) after every phrase of lick he messes with it and goes between pickups too.

Thats because Trey is a fuckin' jedi ....

That languedoc in a mere mortals hands would squeal like a stuck pig. He plays on the edge ALL the time so he can pick and choose when to throw that otherwordly sustain bag of tricks at 'ya. He needs to ride the volume and tone like that to reign in the Wild stallion that guitar is. It is braced and hollow like a Jazz box and plugged into a fairly high gain signal chain.

My wife is not a big Phish fan and echoes some of the sentiments I see in this thread about their lyrics. But this band is about F-U-N. And they had more fun this summer than they have since summer 2000 in my opinion. (see recurring Fishman "tucking" theme)

+1! Major bovine shrieks, even with rock & roll immortals like Neil Young! Check him out playing Trey's spare (maple) Languedoc on 25+ minutes of feedback-drenched "Down By The River" at Farm-Aid '98. This was followed by a sit-in by Daniel Lanois, Paul Shafer and WILLIE...

jeffm725 wrote:Love 'em. They brought the absolute heat this summer. They have changed and they are not extending typeII jams as much as the did when 2.0, but in 2.0 they couldnt nail their composed tunes either, and they are crushing that shit now. They have played 207 DIFFERENT songs this year in under 20 shows! I defy you to find a GD year that comes close to that setlist variety! Everything is a trade off. I think the summer tour that just ended is the best since summer 2000.
Being a native New Englander, I got to see them very early: 1987 as an opener for Max Creek. Loved 'em then, Love 'em now. Great guys too!

big deal GD could have crammed a whole bunch of different songs into their sets but that wasent their point to smush in a thousand songs in a single tour. ......either way phish still sucks. not very mmmmmmmkay

Counterstriker wrote:Has anybody ever notice how much trey touches his tone and volume knobs (all his controls really) after every phrase of lick he messes with it and goes between pickups too.

Thats because Trey is a fuckin' jedi ....

That languedoc in a mere mortals hands would squeal like a stuck pig. He plays on the edge ALL the time so he can pick and choose when to throw that otherwordly sustain bag of tricks at 'ya. He needs to ride the volume and tone like that to reign in the Wild stallion that guitar is. It is braced and hollow like a Jazz box and plugged into a fairly high gain signal chain.

That's Ted Nugent's act he's stealing. I'd be careful if I was Trey. The Nuge dont take kindly to horse thievery.